SWC75
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The Non-Conference Schedule
(Quotes are from either Lindy’s or the The Sporting News college basketball previews.)
TV:
- ACCN EXTRA is a web channel. Here is how to get it: How to find ACC Network Extra (Watch league games online)
How to get it on your TV screen:
How to watch Syracuse University, ACC, games on TV when they're not on TV (video)
- ACCN games should be on Channel 3 on Time Warner Cable (TWC).
- ESPN 3 is also an internet feed that you get through the Watch ESPN page, as described above.
- RSN is the ACC’s Regional Sports network, which should be on the YES network, (TWC 53 and 321 for HD)
- ESPN is Channel 24 on TWC. ESPN 2 is Channel 25. ESPNU is Channel 370. CBS is channel 5 in Syracuse.
Date, Opponent, Time/Result, Location, TV
Tue, Nov 1 Indiana University (Pa.) (EXH) 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
Last year the Division II Crimson Hawks went 21-8. They lost their only exhibition game to Siena 73-82. They didn’t make the D2 championship tournament. Brandon Norfleet, the conference player of the year and a D2 All-American has graduated and takes his 22.8ppg with him. 6-1 Anthony Glover is the only double figure scorer back at 10.0 with only 1.7 assists per game. 6-0 Dante Lombardi averaged 8.8p/2.9a. 6-9 205 Jacobo Diaz is their big man at 8.6p/6.7a. Devon Cottrell is 6-7 230 and averaged 8.3p/6.2r in only 6 games before he was injured. 5-11 Brandon Spain averaged 7.1p/2.2r. They will be a decent D2 team, no better.
Tue, Nov 8 Le Moyne (EXH) 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
The Dolphins were 10-17 last year. Their stats kind of define average: they got out-scored by an average of 68-72, out-rebounded by 4 a game, shot 51% on two pointers, 35% from the arc and 73% from the line. They gave up 50%/39%/71.5%. They have a very good guard in 6-3 Tyquan Rolan, who averaged 17.6ppg before getting hurt. Two other double-figure scorers are back: 6-2 Tanner Hyland (10.4) and 6-6 Stan Buczek 10.2. Nobody averaged more than Rolan’s 5.3 rebounds per game. The tallest player on the team is 6-7 and he played a total of minutes last year. We beat them last year 87-58. That LeMoyne team that beat us in 2009 was an 18-10 team. This team probably won’t be that good.
Fri, Nov 11 Colgate 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
SU last lost to the Red Raiders on February 24, 1962. We’ve beaten them 50 times in a row since then. That’s the second best streak all-time. Just as in the consecutive winning season streak, we are behind UCLA who beat California 52 times in a row from 1961-85, (the winning season streak is 46 to 54). For a time in recent years the series became so one-sided it seemed pointless to continue. Instead of the usual 30 point beat-down we started water-boarding them by scores like 100-43 and 92-47. But the Red Raiders have become respectable since then, even throwing a 69-60 scare into the Orange near the beginning of our 25 game winning streak in 2013-14. We beat them 78-51 last year.
Last year they were 13-17. Their numbers were similar to LeMoyne’s: outscored by 1.7ppg, outrebounded by 3.1, shooting 50% from 2, 37% from 3 and 68% from the line, giving up 51/37/68.5. They lost leading scorer Austin Tillotson has graduated but they have double-figure scorers 6-7 Jordan Swopshire (10.6ppg, 4.7rpg) and Tom Rivard (10.5ppg 4.5rpg. 6-8 Malcom Regsford was the leading rebounder at 5.9 but only scored 5.7. They have high hopes for 6-7 Will Ryman, who the recruited out of NYC. The only taller player is 6-9 215 reserve Dana Batt. Swopshire hit 44% of his threes and 6-2 Sean O’Brien hit 43%.
Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational
Tue, Nov 15 Holy Cross 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
Last year Holy Cross was 15-20. They played that many games because they won the Patriot League tourney as a #9 seed, beat Southern U. in the first floor, then lost to Oregon in the round of 64, (a battle between the 1939 and 1947 NCAA champions). They’ve got four starters back from that run and it will be interesting to see if there’s any carry over. Coach Bill Carmody is a Pete Carril disciple so he knows how to frustrate teams with superior talent. Malachi Alexander, Karl Charles and Robert Champion are all 6-6 or 6-7 and all scored from 10.6-12.0. Alexander was the leading rebounder at 5.6. They do have a 6-11 240 pound center (5.7ppg, 2.9rpg), Matt Husek
Fri, Nov 18 Monmouth 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
Ah, hah! Monmouth was the team people wanted in the NCAA tournament last year instead of Syracuse and here they come, wanting to prove those people right. Last year the Hawks captured the attention of the nation with wins over UCLA, Notre Dame and Georgetown and split with USC in two games. They also attracted attention for some celebratory bench antics that charmed fans but irritated the heck out of their defeated opponents. They’d love to put on a show in the Carrier Dome against a team they probably felt cheated them out of an NCAA bid last year. It wasn’t always party time for Monmouth last year. They lost to Dayton, Army, Manhattan twice to Iona, including in their conference tournament and then to George Washington in the second round of the NIT. They might win Dancing with the Stars but in basketball, they are a good mid-major. We just don’t want them to win Dancing in the Dome.
They have four starters back, including quick 5-8 guard Justin Robinson who scored 19.3 a game. One of my concerns is that our tall line-up might have trouble keeping up with a guy like this. Even John Gillon at 6 feet would tower over this guy by 4 inches. 6-5 Michah Seaborn scored 13.2. 6-10 250 Chris Brady was the leading rebounder at 5.9. They like to run and scored 80 points a game last year. Je’Lon Hornbeck hit 40% of this treys last year and Robinson and Seaborn weren’t far behind at39 and 38%..
Tue, Nov 22 South Carolina State 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
This is another team that takes on a tough non-conference schedule and then plays well in their conference. Last year they were 7-11 outside of the Mid-East and 12-4 in it, going to the conference tournament final. Last year’s losses included Kansas State, St. Bonaventure and Ohio State so they won’t be intimidated playing Syracuse. They have a strong backcourt with 6-3 Eric Eaves (17.6ppg) and 6-2 Ed Stephens (13.1). 6-7 Tashombe Riley “could have a breakout year around the basket” according to Lindy’s . He has “a strong nose for the ball on the offensive glass.”
Sat, Nov 26 South Carolina 2:00 p.m. Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center TV: ESPN 3
The “Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational” is another one of these “classics” that isn’t a tournament- it’s just a series of games where we could lose to, say, Monmouth, and we’d still in the Barclays Center playing South Carolina. It will be another confrontation with college basketball’s answer to Colonel Quaritch, Frank Martin.
Colonel Quartich:
Coach Martin:
The Gamecocks had their best team in years last season, going 25-9, including 11-7 in the SEC. They won their first 15 games against a weak schedule but blew an NCAA bid with 5 losses in their last 8 games. They lost in the second round of the NIT. The off-season was a trying one, full of suspensions and dismissals. They have a pair of senior guards in 6-5 Sindarius Thornwell , who averaged 13.4ppg and 6-2 Duane Notice (10.8). Thornwell “struggled at times on the perimeter but is proficient at getting to the rim” (Lindy’s) while Notice “provides a perfect outside compliment”. 6-6 P. J. Dozier , “a flashy guard who has a dynamic game when able to stay on the court”. But he was 1 for 21 from three point range. They lost their entire starting frontcourt from last year. 6-9 220 Chris Silva was suspended but reinstated after averaging 5.4p/4.5r last year. “He is a true glass-cleaner.” Freshman Sedde Keita, 6-9 215, “is an outstanding athlete.” Khadim Gueye, 7-1 240, “though less offensively advanced than his classmates, provides unmatched height.” We can match it.
ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Tue, Nov 29 Wisconsin 7:30 p.m. Madison, WI TV:ESPN
The Badgers seemed to be in a rebuilding year last year when they beat us in OT in the Dome after we were flying high from our victory in the Atlantis tournament. A couple weeks later Bo Ryan handed over the reins to his assistant, Greg Gard, who led the team to the Sweet 16. They lost no one – no body - from that team.
Seniors Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes and sophomore Ethan Happ were the key players last year. Koenig, a 6-4 guard, set a school record with at least one trey in 43 straight games, including the buzzer beater that beat Xavier in the big dance, Hayes, who started out as an in the blocks scorer but has extended his range and can now play either forward positon, averaged 13.1ppg. Hayes 6-8 240, averaged 15.7p/5.8r. Happ, (6-9 235), the center, was the Big Ten’s best freshman (12.4p/7.9r).
The seniors on this team have bene part of 13 NCAA tournament wins. The Badgers also play the kind of tough, physical defense that always bothers Syracuse teams. Gard said “I’m thinking about selling tickets to practice. We had more blood during the summer workouts than we’ve had in the last three years.”
Sat, Dec 3 North Florida 4:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
The Ospreys have won the Atlantic Sun regular season two years in a row. They get three starters back, including the conference player of the year, 6-1 guard Dallas Moore, (19.8ppg). 6-8 225 Chris Davenport averaged 12.3p/7.2rpg. Their backcourt was called the “Birds of Trey” last year and they’ll need to be productive from there to beat the SU zone.
Mon, Dec 5 Connecticut 7:00 p.m. Madison Square Garden TV: ESPN
One of three old friends from the Big East we’ll play in sixteen days in December. The Huskies haven’t skipped a beat, even if they were “left behind” in the AAC while we went to the ACC. They won a national championship to start off, then had an off year with only 20 wins. Last year they were expected to have one of the top teams and were disappointed with their 25-11 record. Kevin Ollie now has one of the top recruiting classes in the country, one that’s calling itself the “Top Five”. Ollie was part of the recruiting class with Donyell Marshall in the early 70’s that helped get the UCONN program going and has compared this group to that one.
5-11 guard Alterique Gilbert was a McDonald’s All-American. “He’s a terrific point guard with terrific leadership ability and very good basketball IQ.” He’s being compared to Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright. Christian Vital is a 6-2 guard and is “a gritty player, an Ollie favorite”. 6-9 Juwan Durham, 6-8 Mamadou Diarra and 6-8 Vance Jackson fill out the class. Durham is has had surgery on both knees and may redshirt. Diarra will provide defense and rebounding. Jackson is a long range shooter with size.
They will join veterans Rodney Purvis, 6-4, who hit 70 treys to help him lead the team in scoring with 12.8, and 7-0 217 Andre Brimah, “a shot blocking menace prone to foul trouble, (we’ve got one of those). 6-3 Jalen Adams hit a 70 footer to win a four OT game vs. Cincinnati in ACC tournament. (4OT- that’s nothing!).
Sat, Dec 10 Boston University 12:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: RSN
Can we win the Patriot League title? Colgate, Holy Cross and Boston U. are all in that conference. The Terriers are coming off an injury-filled season where they still managed to have a winning record at 19-15. 6-5 Eric Fanning averaged 15.3ppg and 6-3 Cheddi Mosely averaged 13.3ppg. They will be joined by 6-5 Cedric Hankerson who averaged 15.9ppg two years and back after being redshirted last year due to an injury. 6-1 Kyle Foreman hit for 9.2ppg last year. They also have good size with 6-11 225 Blaise Mbargoirba and 7-0 230 Dylan Hines sharing the center spot and four other guys in the 6-7, 6-8 range.
Sat, Dec 17 Georgetown 12:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ESPN
The Hoyas whipped us in the first game of Boeheim’s suspension last year and we owe them one. (Of course, we’d want to kick their butts even if we didn’t.) It hurt our reputation when they went on to stumble through a 15-18 season. They lost their big gun, D’Vanutes Smith-Rivera but get all their other key players back. 6-5 L. J. Peak is the leading returning scorer at 12.3ppg but is foul prone. 6-9 220 Isaac Copeland is a long range shooter, (and sometimes maker) who averaged 11.1p/5.4r. But their key returnee is probably 7-0 275 Bradley Hayes, (8.7p/5.7r, who may be too tall for Coleman and too strong for Chukwu. 6-5 Rodney Pryor transferred in from Robert Morris where he averaged 18.3p/8.0 and scored more points against Duke’s 2015 national champions than any other player in the NCAA tournament, (23).
Mon, Dec 19 Eastern Michigan 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome
TV: ESPNU We resume our series against former Boeheim assistant Rob Murphy’s Eagles. We beat them three times running from 2011-13 by between 22 and 36 points. Last year they were 18-15 and have 5 of their top 6 players back from that team. 6-10 220 James Thompson was one of only two freshmen in the country to average a double-double, (14.8p/10.6r). The other was a guy named Ben Simmons. 6-3 Raven Lee, (got to love the name), hit 45 treys and averaged 14.8ppg. 6-1 Willie Mangum nailed 63 treys and averaged 12.1ppg. Ty Toney is a powerful guard at 6-3 225 who averaged 11.1ppg.. Murphy: “Our top eight guys could start for any team in this league. This will be my most talented team. Not even close.” They should be familiar with the 2-3 zone.
Wed, Dec 21 St. John's 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: RSN
Our most galling and embarrassing defeat last year was to the Johnnies, whose program is a shambles. Old hero Chris Mullin was brought in to revive it but I noticed during our game with them that he wasn’t running the huddle during time outs. He looked like a figurehead whose presence was supposed to excite the fans, (but would mean less to teenaged recruits), while others were doing the actual coaching. If I’m right, I don’t think they are going to get off the ground until they get serous and bring in a real coach. Last season they finished a dreadful 8-24 and 1-17 in the Big East. Their record after the Syracuse game was a scintillating 1-21.
Ah, yes. The Syracuse game. The basket was a hula hoop for the Red Storm who used 1-11 and 2-13 runs to take a nine point halftime lead. SU never got within 8 in the second half and lost 72-84. St. John’s was 12/24 from three point range and out-rebounded us 25-39. That stung us quite a bit at a time but when the Johnnies flat-lined after that, the game became a disaster that was the big point which all of the pundits who didn’t want us in the tournament kept pounding home. Yeah, we owe these guys, big-time.
For the season, St. John’s shot only 32.6% from the arc, got out-rebounded by almost 4 a game and had 73 more turnovers than assists. They gave up 90+ points eight times. They’ve lost three of their top four scorers. The one they have back is 6-2 Federico Mussini, who hit 5 three pointers against us, some from beyond NBA range. He averaged 10.7ppg for the season. 6-3 Malik Ellison (7.3ppg) “can pass and score form the wing, but that’s about it”. 6-11 215 Yankuba Sima (7.3p/5.4r) and 6-7 210 Kassoum Yakwe (7.1p/5.3r) are “capable of finishing in close and clearing the boards” and both swatted away more than 2 shots a game. 6-7 210 Bashir Amed was a junior college All-American who averaged 20.1ppg. “He can rebound and is a versatile wing capable of guarding a few positons.” 6-1 freshman Shamoria Ponds “is a heralded left-handed combo who scores well off the dribble. He needs to gain more savvy and improve his shot selection but he has plenty of potential”. Mullin played a lot of young players last year and will again this year. The Sporting News says this is “the youngest cast in the Big East”. They could be better because they can hardly be worse. But we will be better, too and could hardly be worse than we were in last year’s game.
Tue, Dec 27 Cornell 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: RSN
The Big Red have been rather little since their reached the Sweet 16 in 2010. They’ve had nothing but losing seasons since, including 10-18, (and 3-11 in the Ivy League) last year. They have a hugely productive backcourt of 6-3 Matt Morgan (18.9ppg) and 6-2 Robert Hatter (17.1ppg). (The Mad Hatter?) All five starters are back. Their great weakness? They were -10.4 in rebounding margin and also last in the Ivy league in scoring defense (78.4ppg). Their starting line-up does include 6-9 230 David Onuorah but he only averaged 5.0p/6.8r. The rest of the line-up went 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, 6-7. It wasn’t enough and it won’t be against SU.
Comments: The days when people could say that Syracuse plays nothing but cupcakes out of conference are long gone, (although some will still say that, no doubt). We play three former Big East teams, a major contender in the Big Ten and an SEC team who won 25 last year, as well as everybody’s favorite mid-major from last season. Even the lower majors we play include teams that won their conference and several teams that have a lot of veteran players coming back. There will be fewer games where everybody will play and JB can try out various combinations. On the other hand, we should have a good idea of how good our team is before conference play starts.
(Quotes are from either Lindy’s or the The Sporting News college basketball previews.)
TV:
- ACCN EXTRA is a web channel. Here is how to get it: How to find ACC Network Extra (Watch league games online)
How to get it on your TV screen:
How to watch Syracuse University, ACC, games on TV when they're not on TV (video)
- ACCN games should be on Channel 3 on Time Warner Cable (TWC).
- ESPN 3 is also an internet feed that you get through the Watch ESPN page, as described above.
- RSN is the ACC’s Regional Sports network, which should be on the YES network, (TWC 53 and 321 for HD)
- ESPN is Channel 24 on TWC. ESPN 2 is Channel 25. ESPNU is Channel 370. CBS is channel 5 in Syracuse.
Date, Opponent, Time/Result, Location, TV
Tue, Nov 1 Indiana University (Pa.) (EXH) 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
Last year the Division II Crimson Hawks went 21-8. They lost their only exhibition game to Siena 73-82. They didn’t make the D2 championship tournament. Brandon Norfleet, the conference player of the year and a D2 All-American has graduated and takes his 22.8ppg with him. 6-1 Anthony Glover is the only double figure scorer back at 10.0 with only 1.7 assists per game. 6-0 Dante Lombardi averaged 8.8p/2.9a. 6-9 205 Jacobo Diaz is their big man at 8.6p/6.7a. Devon Cottrell is 6-7 230 and averaged 8.3p/6.2r in only 6 games before he was injured. 5-11 Brandon Spain averaged 7.1p/2.2r. They will be a decent D2 team, no better.
Tue, Nov 8 Le Moyne (EXH) 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
The Dolphins were 10-17 last year. Their stats kind of define average: they got out-scored by an average of 68-72, out-rebounded by 4 a game, shot 51% on two pointers, 35% from the arc and 73% from the line. They gave up 50%/39%/71.5%. They have a very good guard in 6-3 Tyquan Rolan, who averaged 17.6ppg before getting hurt. Two other double-figure scorers are back: 6-2 Tanner Hyland (10.4) and 6-6 Stan Buczek 10.2. Nobody averaged more than Rolan’s 5.3 rebounds per game. The tallest player on the team is 6-7 and he played a total of minutes last year. We beat them last year 87-58. That LeMoyne team that beat us in 2009 was an 18-10 team. This team probably won’t be that good.
Fri, Nov 11 Colgate 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
SU last lost to the Red Raiders on February 24, 1962. We’ve beaten them 50 times in a row since then. That’s the second best streak all-time. Just as in the consecutive winning season streak, we are behind UCLA who beat California 52 times in a row from 1961-85, (the winning season streak is 46 to 54). For a time in recent years the series became so one-sided it seemed pointless to continue. Instead of the usual 30 point beat-down we started water-boarding them by scores like 100-43 and 92-47. But the Red Raiders have become respectable since then, even throwing a 69-60 scare into the Orange near the beginning of our 25 game winning streak in 2013-14. We beat them 78-51 last year.
Last year they were 13-17. Their numbers were similar to LeMoyne’s: outscored by 1.7ppg, outrebounded by 3.1, shooting 50% from 2, 37% from 3 and 68% from the line, giving up 51/37/68.5. They lost leading scorer Austin Tillotson has graduated but they have double-figure scorers 6-7 Jordan Swopshire (10.6ppg, 4.7rpg) and Tom Rivard (10.5ppg 4.5rpg. 6-8 Malcom Regsford was the leading rebounder at 5.9 but only scored 5.7. They have high hopes for 6-7 Will Ryman, who the recruited out of NYC. The only taller player is 6-9 215 reserve Dana Batt. Swopshire hit 44% of his threes and 6-2 Sean O’Brien hit 43%.
Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational
Tue, Nov 15 Holy Cross 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
Last year Holy Cross was 15-20. They played that many games because they won the Patriot League tourney as a #9 seed, beat Southern U. in the first floor, then lost to Oregon in the round of 64, (a battle between the 1939 and 1947 NCAA champions). They’ve got four starters back from that run and it will be interesting to see if there’s any carry over. Coach Bill Carmody is a Pete Carril disciple so he knows how to frustrate teams with superior talent. Malachi Alexander, Karl Charles and Robert Champion are all 6-6 or 6-7 and all scored from 10.6-12.0. Alexander was the leading rebounder at 5.6. They do have a 6-11 240 pound center (5.7ppg, 2.9rpg), Matt Husek
Fri, Nov 18 Monmouth 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
Ah, hah! Monmouth was the team people wanted in the NCAA tournament last year instead of Syracuse and here they come, wanting to prove those people right. Last year the Hawks captured the attention of the nation with wins over UCLA, Notre Dame and Georgetown and split with USC in two games. They also attracted attention for some celebratory bench antics that charmed fans but irritated the heck out of their defeated opponents. They’d love to put on a show in the Carrier Dome against a team they probably felt cheated them out of an NCAA bid last year. It wasn’t always party time for Monmouth last year. They lost to Dayton, Army, Manhattan twice to Iona, including in their conference tournament and then to George Washington in the second round of the NIT. They might win Dancing with the Stars but in basketball, they are a good mid-major. We just don’t want them to win Dancing in the Dome.
They have four starters back, including quick 5-8 guard Justin Robinson who scored 19.3 a game. One of my concerns is that our tall line-up might have trouble keeping up with a guy like this. Even John Gillon at 6 feet would tower over this guy by 4 inches. 6-5 Michah Seaborn scored 13.2. 6-10 250 Chris Brady was the leading rebounder at 5.9. They like to run and scored 80 points a game last year. Je’Lon Hornbeck hit 40% of this treys last year and Robinson and Seaborn weren’t far behind at39 and 38%..
Tue, Nov 22 South Carolina State 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
This is another team that takes on a tough non-conference schedule and then plays well in their conference. Last year they were 7-11 outside of the Mid-East and 12-4 in it, going to the conference tournament final. Last year’s losses included Kansas State, St. Bonaventure and Ohio State so they won’t be intimidated playing Syracuse. They have a strong backcourt with 6-3 Eric Eaves (17.6ppg) and 6-2 Ed Stephens (13.1). 6-7 Tashombe Riley “could have a breakout year around the basket” according to Lindy’s . He has “a strong nose for the ball on the offensive glass.”
Sat, Nov 26 South Carolina 2:00 p.m. Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center TV: ESPN 3
The “Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational” is another one of these “classics” that isn’t a tournament- it’s just a series of games where we could lose to, say, Monmouth, and we’d still in the Barclays Center playing South Carolina. It will be another confrontation with college basketball’s answer to Colonel Quaritch, Frank Martin.
Colonel Quartich:
Coach Martin:
The Gamecocks had their best team in years last season, going 25-9, including 11-7 in the SEC. They won their first 15 games against a weak schedule but blew an NCAA bid with 5 losses in their last 8 games. They lost in the second round of the NIT. The off-season was a trying one, full of suspensions and dismissals. They have a pair of senior guards in 6-5 Sindarius Thornwell , who averaged 13.4ppg and 6-2 Duane Notice (10.8). Thornwell “struggled at times on the perimeter but is proficient at getting to the rim” (Lindy’s) while Notice “provides a perfect outside compliment”. 6-6 P. J. Dozier , “a flashy guard who has a dynamic game when able to stay on the court”. But he was 1 for 21 from three point range. They lost their entire starting frontcourt from last year. 6-9 220 Chris Silva was suspended but reinstated after averaging 5.4p/4.5r last year. “He is a true glass-cleaner.” Freshman Sedde Keita, 6-9 215, “is an outstanding athlete.” Khadim Gueye, 7-1 240, “though less offensively advanced than his classmates, provides unmatched height.” We can match it.
ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Tue, Nov 29 Wisconsin 7:30 p.m. Madison, WI TV:ESPN
The Badgers seemed to be in a rebuilding year last year when they beat us in OT in the Dome after we were flying high from our victory in the Atlantis tournament. A couple weeks later Bo Ryan handed over the reins to his assistant, Greg Gard, who led the team to the Sweet 16. They lost no one – no body - from that team.
Seniors Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes and sophomore Ethan Happ were the key players last year. Koenig, a 6-4 guard, set a school record with at least one trey in 43 straight games, including the buzzer beater that beat Xavier in the big dance, Hayes, who started out as an in the blocks scorer but has extended his range and can now play either forward positon, averaged 13.1ppg. Hayes 6-8 240, averaged 15.7p/5.8r. Happ, (6-9 235), the center, was the Big Ten’s best freshman (12.4p/7.9r).
The seniors on this team have bene part of 13 NCAA tournament wins. The Badgers also play the kind of tough, physical defense that always bothers Syracuse teams. Gard said “I’m thinking about selling tickets to practice. We had more blood during the summer workouts than we’ve had in the last three years.”
Sat, Dec 3 North Florida 4:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ACCN EXTRA
The Ospreys have won the Atlantic Sun regular season two years in a row. They get three starters back, including the conference player of the year, 6-1 guard Dallas Moore, (19.8ppg). 6-8 225 Chris Davenport averaged 12.3p/7.2rpg. Their backcourt was called the “Birds of Trey” last year and they’ll need to be productive from there to beat the SU zone.
Mon, Dec 5 Connecticut 7:00 p.m. Madison Square Garden TV: ESPN
One of three old friends from the Big East we’ll play in sixteen days in December. The Huskies haven’t skipped a beat, even if they were “left behind” in the AAC while we went to the ACC. They won a national championship to start off, then had an off year with only 20 wins. Last year they were expected to have one of the top teams and were disappointed with their 25-11 record. Kevin Ollie now has one of the top recruiting classes in the country, one that’s calling itself the “Top Five”. Ollie was part of the recruiting class with Donyell Marshall in the early 70’s that helped get the UCONN program going and has compared this group to that one.
5-11 guard Alterique Gilbert was a McDonald’s All-American. “He’s a terrific point guard with terrific leadership ability and very good basketball IQ.” He’s being compared to Kemba Walker, Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright. Christian Vital is a 6-2 guard and is “a gritty player, an Ollie favorite”. 6-9 Juwan Durham, 6-8 Mamadou Diarra and 6-8 Vance Jackson fill out the class. Durham is has had surgery on both knees and may redshirt. Diarra will provide defense and rebounding. Jackson is a long range shooter with size.
They will join veterans Rodney Purvis, 6-4, who hit 70 treys to help him lead the team in scoring with 12.8, and 7-0 217 Andre Brimah, “a shot blocking menace prone to foul trouble, (we’ve got one of those). 6-3 Jalen Adams hit a 70 footer to win a four OT game vs. Cincinnati in ACC tournament. (4OT- that’s nothing!).
Sat, Dec 10 Boston University 12:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: RSN
Can we win the Patriot League title? Colgate, Holy Cross and Boston U. are all in that conference. The Terriers are coming off an injury-filled season where they still managed to have a winning record at 19-15. 6-5 Eric Fanning averaged 15.3ppg and 6-3 Cheddi Mosely averaged 13.3ppg. They will be joined by 6-5 Cedric Hankerson who averaged 15.9ppg two years and back after being redshirted last year due to an injury. 6-1 Kyle Foreman hit for 9.2ppg last year. They also have good size with 6-11 225 Blaise Mbargoirba and 7-0 230 Dylan Hines sharing the center spot and four other guys in the 6-7, 6-8 range.
Sat, Dec 17 Georgetown 12:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: ESPN
The Hoyas whipped us in the first game of Boeheim’s suspension last year and we owe them one. (Of course, we’d want to kick their butts even if we didn’t.) It hurt our reputation when they went on to stumble through a 15-18 season. They lost their big gun, D’Vanutes Smith-Rivera but get all their other key players back. 6-5 L. J. Peak is the leading returning scorer at 12.3ppg but is foul prone. 6-9 220 Isaac Copeland is a long range shooter, (and sometimes maker) who averaged 11.1p/5.4r. But their key returnee is probably 7-0 275 Bradley Hayes, (8.7p/5.7r, who may be too tall for Coleman and too strong for Chukwu. 6-5 Rodney Pryor transferred in from Robert Morris where he averaged 18.3p/8.0 and scored more points against Duke’s 2015 national champions than any other player in the NCAA tournament, (23).
Mon, Dec 19 Eastern Michigan 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome
TV: ESPNU We resume our series against former Boeheim assistant Rob Murphy’s Eagles. We beat them three times running from 2011-13 by between 22 and 36 points. Last year they were 18-15 and have 5 of their top 6 players back from that team. 6-10 220 James Thompson was one of only two freshmen in the country to average a double-double, (14.8p/10.6r). The other was a guy named Ben Simmons. 6-3 Raven Lee, (got to love the name), hit 45 treys and averaged 14.8ppg. 6-1 Willie Mangum nailed 63 treys and averaged 12.1ppg. Ty Toney is a powerful guard at 6-3 225 who averaged 11.1ppg.. Murphy: “Our top eight guys could start for any team in this league. This will be my most talented team. Not even close.” They should be familiar with the 2-3 zone.
Wed, Dec 21 St. John's 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: RSN
Our most galling and embarrassing defeat last year was to the Johnnies, whose program is a shambles. Old hero Chris Mullin was brought in to revive it but I noticed during our game with them that he wasn’t running the huddle during time outs. He looked like a figurehead whose presence was supposed to excite the fans, (but would mean less to teenaged recruits), while others were doing the actual coaching. If I’m right, I don’t think they are going to get off the ground until they get serous and bring in a real coach. Last season they finished a dreadful 8-24 and 1-17 in the Big East. Their record after the Syracuse game was a scintillating 1-21.
Ah, yes. The Syracuse game. The basket was a hula hoop for the Red Storm who used 1-11 and 2-13 runs to take a nine point halftime lead. SU never got within 8 in the second half and lost 72-84. St. John’s was 12/24 from three point range and out-rebounded us 25-39. That stung us quite a bit at a time but when the Johnnies flat-lined after that, the game became a disaster that was the big point which all of the pundits who didn’t want us in the tournament kept pounding home. Yeah, we owe these guys, big-time.
For the season, St. John’s shot only 32.6% from the arc, got out-rebounded by almost 4 a game and had 73 more turnovers than assists. They gave up 90+ points eight times. They’ve lost three of their top four scorers. The one they have back is 6-2 Federico Mussini, who hit 5 three pointers against us, some from beyond NBA range. He averaged 10.7ppg for the season. 6-3 Malik Ellison (7.3ppg) “can pass and score form the wing, but that’s about it”. 6-11 215 Yankuba Sima (7.3p/5.4r) and 6-7 210 Kassoum Yakwe (7.1p/5.3r) are “capable of finishing in close and clearing the boards” and both swatted away more than 2 shots a game. 6-7 210 Bashir Amed was a junior college All-American who averaged 20.1ppg. “He can rebound and is a versatile wing capable of guarding a few positons.” 6-1 freshman Shamoria Ponds “is a heralded left-handed combo who scores well off the dribble. He needs to gain more savvy and improve his shot selection but he has plenty of potential”. Mullin played a lot of young players last year and will again this year. The Sporting News says this is “the youngest cast in the Big East”. They could be better because they can hardly be worse. But we will be better, too and could hardly be worse than we were in last year’s game.
Tue, Dec 27 Cornell 7:00 p.m. Carrier Dome TV: RSN
The Big Red have been rather little since their reached the Sweet 16 in 2010. They’ve had nothing but losing seasons since, including 10-18, (and 3-11 in the Ivy League) last year. They have a hugely productive backcourt of 6-3 Matt Morgan (18.9ppg) and 6-2 Robert Hatter (17.1ppg). (The Mad Hatter?) All five starters are back. Their great weakness? They were -10.4 in rebounding margin and also last in the Ivy league in scoring defense (78.4ppg). Their starting line-up does include 6-9 230 David Onuorah but he only averaged 5.0p/6.8r. The rest of the line-up went 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, 6-7. It wasn’t enough and it won’t be against SU.
Comments: The days when people could say that Syracuse plays nothing but cupcakes out of conference are long gone, (although some will still say that, no doubt). We play three former Big East teams, a major contender in the Big Ten and an SEC team who won 25 last year, as well as everybody’s favorite mid-major from last season. Even the lower majors we play include teams that won their conference and several teams that have a lot of veteran players coming back. There will be fewer games where everybody will play and JB can try out various combinations. On the other hand, we should have a good idea of how good our team is before conference play starts.
